In an election in which it is increasingly looking like a contest between the detestable and the unthinkable, there is an alternative. For all Americans who would prefer if their president was both not under FBI investigation and able to form complete sentences, there is a better option, not only a tolerable candidate but one whom you can be truly excited about: Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson is fiscally responsible, socially tolerant, a lover of freedom, wary of foreign involvements that will benefit nobody, and is also not a spittle spewing ideologue. He understands that a debt which amounts to 104 percent of our GDP is both irresponsible, as well as unsustainable. To avoid fiscal collapse and to preserve future flexibility in case of disaster, Gary Johnson has promised that one of his first acts as president will be to submit a truly balanced budget to congress, with no gimmicks or “future” cuts. He will do this by passing several functions of the federal government along to the states, cutting unnecessary defense and welfare programs, and by cutting pork and unnecessary spending from the budget. Furthermore, in order to ease both the fiscal strain and complication of income and payroll taxes, he advocates replacing it all(in the long term, in small, measured steps) with a single consumption tax that will avoid taxing life’s necessities. This will eliminate all loopholes and government favors to large corporations, be easier for all, allow domestic investment, and keep American businesses competitive in an increasingly global economy. Gary Johnson values religious freedom, which he will defend to the last, educational freedom, which will be freed from the toxic efforts of Washington and will be decentralized for every state in a way that best suits them, and civil liberties, which have eroded continuously under both Republican and Democratic administrations. He does not believe that many of our past foreign escapades were either helpful or necessary, and indeed created the power vacuum in which ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and many other violent terrorist organizations. Yet, he is not a Hollywood liberal, and recognizes the importance of Israel as well as the danger Iran poses to the civilized world. As such, he was unequivocally opposed to the Iran deal, which he accused of widening the coffers of “the leading financier of terror around the world”. Finally, he is not a raving lunatic who would blindly toe the party line, regardless of the consequences. He has switched parties to protest political views, denounced several aspects of the Libertarian-party approved platform (such as his views on anti-discriminatory laws), and worked across the aisle as the Republican(then) governor of a Democratic state. He would not dogmatically stick to the script in event of emergency, and would carefully review every option before making up his mind. Finally, he is not a wasted vote. A truly wasted vote is a vote for a candidate whom you dislike, distrust, and who does not represent you. As a good candidate, a great American, and an even better man, Gary Johnson deserves your consideration for support this election day.